Pressure-induced structural phase transitions in CrSBr

There is growing interest in combining chemical complexity with external stimuli like pressure, field, and light for property control in van der Waals solids. This is because extreme conditions trigger the development of new states of matter and functionality. In this work, we bring together synchrotron-based infrared absorption, Raman scattering, and diamond anvil cell techniques with first-principles calculations of the lattice dynamics and energy landscape to reveal the series of structural phase transitions in CrSBr. By tracking how the phonons change under pressure, we uncover a remarkable chain of complex symmetry modifications, interlayer interactions, and chemical reactions. A group-subgroup analysis suggests that CrSBr undergoes an orthorhombic Pmmn → monoclinic P2/m transition at 7.6 GPa, and based upon a comparison with model oxychlorides like FeOCl and CrOCl, we propose that changes in the pendant halide groups drive the system to a P21/m-like space group above 15.3 GPa. Compression above 20.2 GPa is irreversible, resulting in the formation of an entirely new compound that is metastable for months. This work opens the door to the use of pressure and possibly strain to control the properties of CrSBr.